Pune Metro on Wednesday shared an important update for its commuters. On Friday (November 2), the metro services on both lines (PCMC to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi) will be suspended from 6pm to 10pm due to Laxmi Pujan. The service will remain operational from 6am to 6pm. From Saturday onwards, the metro service will resume its usual working hours of 6am to 10pm.
Recently, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Maharashtra vice-president, Kunal Tilak, had urged Pune Metro to extend its timings until 11pm for Diwali shoppers. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tilak wrote, "Is it possible to extend the timing of Pune Metro Purple Line till 11pm until Diwali? It would be very convenient for people coming into the city to shop near Mandai, Tulshibaug & Laxmi Road."
Several X users agreed with Tilak and echoed the demand. "Not only during Diwali but it would be really beneficial if the metro runs from 6am to 12am every day," commented one user. Another user suggested, "Reduce the frequency if you must after the regular operating hours, but it would be helpful if @metrorailpune has at least one train every hour throughout the night. It will help a lot of people who need to travel to Pune Railway Station for late-night or early-morning trains." A third user added, "This would be of immense help! Extend the timings of both Aqua and Purple lines from 5:30am to 11pm."
However, Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director (Administration and Public Relations) of Pune Metro, said the extension of metro service timings is not likely to happen soon. "It's difficult at this moment to extend the timings. We have to do preventive maintenance of trains and other infrastructure at night," he said.
